India expresses concern over lack of political progress in Nepal

New Delhi/Geneva: India has expressed concern over the lack of political progress in Nepal but promised to continue to extend all assistance to the Himalayan nation for its peace, stability and socioeconomic development.

India made the statement at the second Universal Periodic Review (UPR), part of the Interactive Dialogue at the 23rd Session of the UPR Working Group at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva on Wednesday.

Welcoming the delegation from Nepal led by Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamal Thapa, India in its statement said the people of the South Asian nation, after having endured a devastating earthquake in April this year, were facing another tough challenge during the ongoing political transition.

“Violence and instability in parts of Nepal have worsened in the run-up to and after the adoption of Nepal’s constitution in September 2015,” the Indian statement said.

“Over 45 persons died, mostly civilians, and hundreds injured. Firings, which ceased just after the adoption of the constitution (of Nepal), have reoccurred. We are concerned over the lack of political progress.”

The UPR is a unique mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) aimed at improving the human rights situation on the ground of each of the 193 UN member states.

Under this mechanism, the human rights situation of all UN member states is reviewed every four-and-half-years. Forty two states are reviewed each year during three Working Group sessions dedicated to 14 states each. These three sessions are usually held in January-February, May-June and October-November.

“We note the concerns expressed by UN human rights bodies, UN country team and Nepal’s own human rights commission over continuing incidents of violence, extra-judicial killings, and ethnic discrimination in the country,” the Indian statement said.

“We urge the government of Nepal to investigate and take credible measures to prevent their recurrence. The problems facing Nepal are political in nature and cannot be resolved through force or a security-based approach.

India said, as a close and friendly neighbor, it has consistently appealed to the Nepal government to address all challenges in a spirit of dialogue and reconciliation.

Referring to Thapa’s statement that Nepal was currently in a very delicate situation resulting from the obstruction of essential supplies at the border points with India, New Delhi stated: “Obstruction referred in the honorable minister’s statement is on the Nepalese side caused by Nepalese protesters.”

The Indian statement said, “with deep rooted historic and cultural ties, will continue to extend all assistance to Nepal for peace, stability and socioeconomic development of the country”.

Health officials in Nepal fear leprosy resurgence in the country with prevalence rate reaching 0.94 per cent in 2018.

Leprosy-free status was given to the Himalayan nation after it declared elimination of the disease in 2009. However, that status could be lost if prevalence rate reaches one per cent of total population, Kathmandu Post reported on Thursday.

Experts already fear that this marks the resurgence of the disease in Nepal. The percentage could be more, an official said, as the current given figures have been derived just from preliminary data.

The Leprosy Control and Disability (LCD) section of Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) of Department of Health Services said that the prevalence rate was 0.92 and 0.89 in 2017 and 2016, respectively, the news report said.

“It will be a great setback for the country if it loses the status,” said Rabindra Baskota, a doctor and chief of the LCD section.

Incubation period of leprosy varies from one to 20 years and diagnosis of more patients could help stop the further spread of the disease, according to him.

“It will take only a couple of years to reach one percent if this upward trend continues,” he added.

The prevalence rate is over one per cent in various districts of the Tarai region, Baskota said, adding that the country had received the leprosy eliminated status, after reducing its prevalence rate by 0.77 per cent, in 2009.

Sishir Silwal, a focal person for the leprosy control programme in Gulmi district, said regular review meetings for leprosy, which should be held every four months, has not been held for the last eight months.

Kathmandu Post quoted Bibek Kumar Lal, Director at EDCD, as saying that there is a severe crunch in manpower that hinders proper functioning.

There are only three staff working in the leprosy section and the same team looks after the disability programme, as well, he told the newspaper.

Leprosy, a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, is transmitted through nasal secretion or from droplets from the mouth. It affects the skin, peripheral nerves and eyes, leading to disfigurement and nerve damage. The disease is curable with a multi-drug therapy. (IANS)